Keys, Miami Fishing Report: Snapper, Sails, Tarpon Bites as Cold Front Hits

Artificial Lure here, coming at you with the Wednesday, November 5th Florida Keys and Miami fishing report. The sun popped up at 6:36 AM and will dip down at 5:44 PM, giving us just over 11 hours to wet a line – prime time for anglers willing to battle a stiff northeast breeze.

Let’s talk tides: in Miami Beach today, we’re looking at low tidal coefficients, which means not much swing between highs and lows. Strong currents won’t be in play, so drifting baits will be slow and you’ll want to focus efforts on structure and ledges. Over in Key West, you had a negative low tide (-0.1 ft) around 2:52 AM, high at 9:51 AM pushing to 1.81 feet, and then another low at 2:31 PM. With this pattern, the couple hours around that late-morning high are your best window for action based on the NOAA and Tides4Fishing reports.

Weather’s been brisk since a cold front pushed through. The National Weather Service says we’ve got moderate to fresh northeast winds, 15 to 20 knots, and choppy bay conditions—so smaller craft should be careful and stick close to sheltered spots. Seas offshore are running five to seven feet with an occasional nine-foot swell, and the king tides are still lingering thanks to that big full moon, so be alert for some extra high water on the dock, especially around sunrise and sunset.

Now for the action that matters—what’s biting? According to recent updates and chatter around the docks, the nearshore reefs and wrecks are loaded with schools of mangrove and yellowtail snapper, with some keeper muttons mixed in for those anchoring in deeper lanes. Pilchards and ballyhoo, live or butterflied, have been the ticket, but if you’re casting lures, white bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp are drawing solid hits. Offshore, sailfish are showing up in the outer edge of the reef line, and kite fished goggle-eyes or blue runners right in 120–200 feet have landed a few flags in the last two days. Blackfin tuna are also running strong early and late, especially near Fowey Light and Tennessee Reef, and a vertical jig or live pilchard will get you a healthy tussle.

Closer in, bridges are still producing slot snook at night on flairhawk jigs and big live mullet. The occasional tarpon has shown at dusk, mostly around Channel 5 and Long Key, as warm water temps persist—Captain Experiences’ latest Placida report has redfish and tarpon active too, and that trend is holding around the Upper Keys. Bonefish are on the flats at first light, especially at Sugarloaf and around Islamorada, where small skimmer jigs and live shrimp are best bets.

Looking for hotspots? For reefs and snapper, hit Alligator Reef offshore Islamorada—easy to anchor and plenty of current breaks. For sails and blackfin, head out past Pacific and Conch Reef edges and watch for frigate birds. For shore-access, try the bridges at Channel 5 and Seven Mile or hit Government Cut in Miami as the tide pushes in, perfect for snook and the surprise jack blitz.

If you need a quick lure rundown, pack white and chartreuse bucktails in 1/2 to 1 oz, soft plastics on jigheads, and a few shiny spoons for the mackerel. For bait, live pilchards, ballyhoo, and cut mullet are the gold standard.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s fishing report from Artificial Lure—remember to subscribe for daily updates and tight lines out there! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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